Monday, February 19, 2007

....and he's Navy! Of course, he's not SWO, but you can't have everything.

So, wanna weigh in on this SB?

Uniform Administriviaby Bull NavAfter lurking around the blogosphere, reading, commenting, and occasionally emailing authors, I am now part of this great communications platform. My Brother Rat, LTCOL P, sent me an invite and John was kind enough to allow me a forum here. I will try to stay focused on Navy stuff, but I may digress (ever so slightly) into hunting, shooting, or perhaps NASCAR. Enjoy. Comment. I have thick skin.Anyway...I guess that too many Navy folks on IA assignments have not been following the rules when it comes to wearing the ACU, which Navy personnel are allowed to wear when attached to an Army unit. If that was not the case, then this NAVADMIN (http://www.npc.navy.mil/NR/rdonlyres/1B062B50-5D0C-4C74-A095-51DDC9946679/0/NAV07038.txt )would not have come out which explains what you can't wear on your (N)Army uniform. Essentially this means that you can't wear your warfare pin on the Army uniform, nor can you wear any of your patches from a past unit. Only what the Army permits can go onto the uniform.If we are going to be in the Navy, then we should wear Navy uniforms. If in combat, this means the DCU or the BDU. If embedded with an Army unit, the Navy folks should still wear the Navy uniform because THEY ARE IN THE NAVY. There is a certain pride that comes with each of the service's uniforms (yes, even the Air Force blue uniform) and once you take that away, you are taking away a part of the individual's motivation. I did not join the (N)Army, I joined the Navy and I have always worn Navy uniforms. Do the Marines wear Army uniforms when they are working with Army folks? No.Admittedly, the DCU is somewhat outdated and the ACU is more functional. Hell, it was designed to be functional in the current combat environment. Perhaps a compromise could be reached in which the Navy folks can personalize their ACU's with the proper insignia (i.e., US NAVY, warfare qualification pins, etc.). Yeah, I know we are all supposed to by "joint" and all but we are still separate services, with our own traditions and customs. The uniform should reflect that uniqueness.

Massachusetts Bloggers for Monti Scholars

About Me

I am 54, happily divorced, mother of two, grandmother of the most spectacular baby boy. I am a registered Republican with fiscally conservative views; libertarian social views & ardently supportive of a strong US Military
I was born and raised in Boston and can not conceive of living anywhere else. I think Brian Lamb of CSpan is the sexiest man on TV. If you want my attention, you have to be aggressive and smart and you have to feed my head.
If you want an explanation for the pic, go to this post.